The Sunday Conversation: Dana Delany's power play

Her character in South Coast Repertory's 'The Parisian Woman' enjoys being part of the political scene. And for her role in ABC's 'Body of Proof,' she decided to get real-life experience. Scalpel, anyone?

Dana Delany plays a calculating politician's wife in Beau Willimon's "The Parisian Woman," set in contemporary Washington, "inspired" by Henri Becque's "La Parisienne" of 1885. The world premiere production, co-starring Steven Weber, begins previews Sunday at South Coast Repertory and runs through May 5. The two-time Emmy winner also stars as acerbic medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt in ABC's procedural "Body of Proof," now in its third season.

Beau Willimon has a pretty dim view of people in politics. Do you share that?

No, I don't. I've been involved in politics on and off over the years, mostly starting with Bill Clinton's campaign in '92. I was very involved in that. Then you start to face the reality of politics a little bit more once you get into it.

I was involved in '92; I was also involved in '96. Then it just started to seem to be all about money. Until we fix that system of special-interest groups, it's not going to change.

Are you optimistic about that?

I think it's going to take a long time. I am optimistic because the fact that in the last four years we have our first black president and that the marriage equality issue has advanced so rapidly, it gives me hope.

No, I don't, actually. It's an interesting role to play because how do you play somebody who doesn't have ambition? It's like playing a negative.

What do you think motivates her?

Mostly pleasure and the pleasure of the artistry of politics. She likes observing it, she likes being part of it, but she likes being invisible behind the scenes. That's much more fun for her. And I think she really does love her husband because he accepts who she is, and that's rare.

I saw "Farragut North" at the Atlantic Theater in New York, when it was first done there, around 2007. [The production moved to the Geffen Playhouse in June 2009.] I was really impressed. I remember going backstage to see Chris Noth, who was in it, and saying, "Wow, this guy is a really good writer." And he said, "Yeah, he's somebody you should watch out for." And that was about politics and sexuality. Of course that was turned into [the film] "Ides of March." And then [the Netflix series] "House of Cards" came along. So he's obviously been on a fast track.

Then I got the offer in February, and I really did not want to do a play, because I'd just got off of "Body of Proof," and I was exhausted. But I wanted to meet with Pam MacKinnon because she's a really wonderful director. So I met her for coffee and I looked at her and said, "Do we know each other?" She said, "Yes, I was Dan Sullivan's assistant on 'Dinner With Friends' when you did it at the Geffen theater." I went, "I liked you, and now you're this huge star director!" So I thought, "I don't know if I can turn this down now," so I said yes. On top of that, I got a concussion two weeks before we started rehearsing, so it's been a challenge. It was stupid; I hit my head on my kitchen counter in New York.

I'd read that you were also in a car accident two weeks before...

It must be something I do to myself. I went and got an MRI and I'm OK, but it's been a challenge, because the one thing you're supposed to do after you get a concussion is not tax your brain.

Did you think the car accident was eerie, though, because you sustained a hand injury in it, which was exactly what had happened to your TV character?

Yeah, it's a little weird. I find that life does always somehow interact with my art.

You've often played super-competent women like Dr. Hunt in "Body of Proof" and birth-control pioneer Margaret Sanger in a TV biopic. Do you think those kinds of roles have evolved over the years?

I definitely do. When I started out, I was so often just the girlfriend or the wife or the mother.

I was so lucky early on with "China Beach" to have such a complex role. And it spoiled me because I thought it's always going to be like this. But it certainly made me realize early on how great television can be for women. It's a female medium, I really believe that, and it amuses me that the main networks are constantly trying to get the younger male demographic. Let them go watch zombie movies 10 times. That's not really what television is. It's an emotional medium, and that's not what boys watch.